Out of Norm Travels

I found a quaint strawberry farm called " Napahupa " or Nop Phu Pha meaning Sky & Mountain which is  just 1 hour's drive from Chiang Mai city area.  Tip: must remember not to have a full stomach before heading there as the road trip up is full of twists & turns.  It is surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. As my family was there during the winter season in December, strawberries were ripe for the picking.  I sat in a little cafe with lovely strawberry drinks and desserts and seating that was strategically placed facing the farm area. After my little refreshment, I (my kids couldn't resist the machines) took a ride around using the off-road vehicles before ending the excursion at the nearby orange farm . I saw some tents/ huts that can be rented for an overnight rustic stay.  An overall lovely trip outside of usual city life .  

I have visited this lovely  Aw Taw Kaw  market  many many times (almost whenever I am in Bangkok).  What's the charm of this place? Well, it's relatively clean (the wet market section is separated from the cooked food section of the market) and it's a place that the locals visit (great for people watching & photography).  The colors, smells and huge variety of cooked food (appealed to the foodie in me).  I have introduced some of the usual "snacks" that I usually get for my "breakfast" at this market.  Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!

  Talad Rot Fai:   A lovely quaint market only open on Saturdays and Sundays ooze VW-loads of vintage wares. You can find ‘oldies but goodies’ inspired toys, clothes, memorabilia, furniture in this market that occupies around 2 football fields in an area which is fenced by train tracks and train coaches.  As in all markets, there are many food stalls that allow you to rest your tired legs or if you wish, eat skewered meats or slurping that ice-cream off coconut husks whilst walking along the make-shift stalls. Whether you are only interested in browsing or people-watching, this is definitely a good place to spend some time on a cool weekend evening.  

What can an urban city like Kuala Lumpur offer for jaded travellers?  How about some enlightening (Batu caves) and architecture (Moorish no less) before ending on a high note (KLCC Twin Towers) ? Group enlightening @  Bat u caves Moorish architecture  @ KTM Headquarters KLCC Twin Towers @ Sunset  Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!

Like most travelers, a trip out of home country means taking an air plane out of the country. In the not so distant past, many travel out of their country using the only means of affordable transport i.e. train. I am not old enough to say that I did that but I was glad I managed to catch one of the last few trains that departed from our grand ol dame, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station back in June 2011. The feeling of nostalgia was what spurred on me taking the journey up north from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was surreal that I was still in my country yet the land the station stood on was actually Malaysian land. In a typical Singaporean way, I facebooked my location & wondered if I should state Singapore or Malaysia as place of origin? Anyway, this dilemma soon ended on 30 June 2011 when the land on which the train station stood was closed to the public with the land returned to Singapore. It was thus unfortunate that my kids will not be able to experience such ...

The famous "old" town of Malacca (or Melaka as others prefer) is an interesting place for a photo shoot. A truly Unique PeR aN aK aN (mix of Chinese and Malay heritage) architecture, food & people awaits the traveler who spends some 3-4 hours on a bus-ride from modern Singapore to the "sleepy" town. Of course, if you are brave enough to venture on the roads yourself, it's definitely faster to travel by car. Here's a collage of some of the photos taken in my recent March 2011 visit: FOOD GALORE! Here you have the " dim sum", wanton noodle and roasted chicken on display A look at the architecture....you will not be able to find similar houses in such a pristine order...at least not in Singapore even though some of the houses in Katong or Joo Chiat still bear some resemblance of these 'old' places but unfortunately, although many still try, quite a few of the houses in Singapore no longer bear the truly orna...

This is my 1st post - set this up cos I tend to blog more about my Travels out of my home country & being the "compartmentalise" me, I want to keep my travelling separate from my regular blog " Meus Sensa ": Travels - so far has been just around the corner in Thailand : Vineyard in Hua Hin Farms outside Bangkok Nostalgia in Hua Hin Kachanaburi outside Bangkok Floating Markets Most memorable recent travel in 2010: Bhutan

Who would have thought that a memory trip can be achieved in Bangkok - in no less than a place called " Plearnwan " in Hua Hin , just outside Bangkok. This place is frequented more by local Thais than tourists as almost everything is in Thai (that's the usual practice outside of Bangkok). What makes this place special? Well, imagine a slice of 60s-70s re-created from the music, food and the furnishings. The entire place is constructed in wood, just like the ol' days. Here's a pic of the amazing entrance: There are food stalls lines up waiting to satisfy your hunger pangs - although the food are still made in the traditional hand-made way (which means you have to wait a while for the food to be ready): Sit-down eateries along the walkway also satisfy the taste-buds and stomachs of hungry travelers - this dish is essentially fried eggs (fried to crisp): Memorabilia from the 60s dot the entire place with old promotional screens jostling for pre...